That second butterfly is very interesting indeed! The abdomen suggests it is a female, as does the spot on the upperside of the forewing. But then again, the abdomen looks rather strange at the end. Guy Well spotted ~ with some of these sexual 'mosaics' mixes, the genitalia is often malformed or in...

Nice M12 Martin, at last a personal plate that's applicable to the car it's on! Here's another one: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v465/MGJohn/T16%20TBO/R620tiT16TBO.jpg Funny how several here share a very wide and varied range of common interests. I have a small collection of cars acquired over...

The last time I remember seeing substantial snow so early in the south east was back in the winter of 1962-1963. That was by far the most severe winter of my lifetime.

Snow this early .... it's a sign I tell you ... we're all doomed...
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It is possible to remove them without harm. You'll need some small scissors to cut the silk girdle around the abdomen ... VERY carefully. Then, working behind the final segment of the pupa where the cremaster ( lots of little hooks ) is embedded in a small pad of silk, again VERY carefully, rub up t...

For much of the time, the male is clinging on for dear life only with his bottom... Guy It's a good trick if you can do it! I have always wondered what had happened to this silver washed fritillary. The rear end looked very sore and red (although the butterfly was quite happy to feed so it couldn't...

How much of their insides generally gets shown on the outside when mating? Is that normal? With many species of butterflies, the males' genetalia can be very prominent and exposed immediately prior to, and during copulation. With some butterlies, the Purple Emperor ( Apatura iris ) for example and ...

Soon it will no longer be “in England’s green and pleasant land” Instead it will be "England a large housing estate which is on the outskirts of Europe". I say stop letting people in and there will be housing enough for all And no need to touch any of our precious greenbelt land My name i...

Some how I don’t think it likely that he is breading and releasing butterflies and just keeping a few extra’s to sell in order to fund the project. Keith. Why do you say that? There are some very resourceful breeders worldwide. Although it is over twenty years ago now, I overwintered a few adult Ny...

Most healthy Nymphalidae butterfly chrysalids like the suspended Comma you've found usually become active wrigglers when touched, often shaking the twigs and leaves nearby in the process.. The movement is unmistakeable. One way to test if a butterfly or moth pupa or chrysalis is still alive is to te...

It's pictures like that Magpie with Red Admiral which make every visit to sites like this a real joy to experience....superb! During the spring breeding season, tits, sparrows and finches visit my small front and back gardens and diligently search all over and under all the plants, fences and even u...

A thoughful cousin has given me one of these recently. I shall paint it black and allow it to weather outside and find a suitable location for it. It resembles a bird nest box with four verticle slots just wide enough to allow a Small Tortoiseshell or Peacock to sidle in. The fascia weather boards o...

One thing is certain, when a female Apatura iris (Purple Emperor) prior to egg laying, 'tests' the leaf it does so with those two leading 'false' legs by scratching the leaf surface several times with them. In the breeding cage, this actually makes quite a noticeable scratching sound. Loud enough to...

I'd bet a nice few quid that all the captive Large Copper Livestock currently circulating can be traced back to one breeder who, by careful selective breeding, maintained a 'reserve' stock of this fine 'batavus' race back in the 1970-80s. Back then, for about ten years, I too maintained a captive st...

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Sir Peter S, on the other hand, probably shot more wildfowl than he saved. Roger I was about to make a similar observation. It is a fact that many hunters and collectors have subsequently been instrumental in effectively setting up Nature Reserves for many species, both common and rare. Over the ye...

On a number of occasions I've seen Clouded Yellows in the UK following main roads or lanes non stop. When I was much younger and very much fitter, I chased one for around a mile barely able to keep up with it in its incessant pressing on mode...I did net it though and became an exhausted perspiring ...

Its been a desperate summer for Blues this year in my part of Essex, [ Colchester area ], until yesterday when i saw Brown Argus and at least 50 Common Blues at Fingrinhoe Wick , so 2 questions; 1, Are second broods generally bigger than 1st. 2, Was this years 1st brood bad due weather or another r...

I'm quite worried about all the species that seem to have gone missing this year. Cheers Paul Not to worry Paul, they'll be back ~ give them time. There have been many periods of decline over the years and those used to worry me ~ not now, butterflies have a motto ...like Arnie once said ..."I...

At this time of year if you want to attract Brimstones then they are very fond of the Teasel flowers. In the local woodlands (Glos), a clump of Teasels growing in the clearings are a strong attractant and sometimes a couple of dozen examples can be seen feeding on the flowerheads. Quite an attractiv...

Plus in just about all species, without exception the males need a few days to feed and become sexually mature before they are able to transfer their spermataphore to the female successfully. At least a week in my experience ~ males that pair prior to becoming sexually mature usually result in infer...